Natalia Nikliborc. Not only is she a senior student in Drugie Liceum Ogólnokształcące, but also a double Polish Senior Champion in Taekwondo, achieved 3rd place in Cadet European Championships, 3rd place in Junior World Championships, and many more. She should be an inspiration for all those young people that think that they can’t carry on with their hobbies in high school, that’s what IB Journal conducted an interview with our fellow schoolmate.
IBJ: How do you manage to keep up the good grades, take part in tournaments and attend social events?
Natalia: I think that the most important things are time management and good organizing skills. As it can be overwhelming very often, it’s also crucial to remain calm and focused on your goals. Sport is a huge part of my life and I don’t feel like myself when I can’t train, which is why I do everything to find time for everything. To be honest, after many years of such multitasking I found out that when I have a lot to do I’m more productive, because I don’t have time for things that don’t matter and are not important to me. And to answer your question precisely – I hardly manage to keep up with everything 😉
IBJ: What are some difficulties that you face?
Natalia: The hardest aspect of my situation is having to choose one thing over the other. There are times, when I have to neglect school a bit in order to take part in a competition or train more to prepare for it. After that, it’s really difficult to catch up, considering the fact that I’ve always attended a good school and had to study a lot. Sometimes I have to miss some training sessions, so I can do homework or prepare for a test. I really don’t like doing it, but I often have to, especially in the IB. Compromising is hard, but crucial to keep the balance.
IBJ: Is there one thing you wish you could change in your weekly schedule?
Natalia: If I could do anything, I would probably change the times of my training, so I could go there straight after school and have an evening to study or do homework. Right now I usually have an hour or an hour and a half between the school and training, and I finish it really late, which makes it quite difficult to do school work effectively.
IBJ: Where do you get your motivation from?
Natalia: I often ask this question myself. To be honest I think it’s just the way I am. I’m hard working and ambitious, so if I want to achieve something – I just work for it. I focus on my goals – both in sport and school – and when I have doubts or harder moments, I just remind myself about it. I also read books and watch films about sport, I follow famous athletes’ lives and get inspired by their stories. I want to combine sport and school, because it’s a challenge for me and I want to rise up to it. No excuses.
IBJ:Do you plan to keep doing sports in future?
Natalia: Definitely. I probably won’t become a professional athlete, because that’s not what I want to do, but sport will always be a part of my life. Maybe I will train martial arts for fun and relax, maybe I will start training new sports or focus on motorical trainings in the gym. I don’t know how it will look like, but I will remain an athlete for the rest of my life.
IBJ: Do you have some tips for other students that wish to keep up with their hobbies and school work?
Natalia: Start with identifying your goals. If they are important for you just work towards them. Don’t get discouraged easily and never, ever give up. Stay organized and learn to use every free moment productively. Remember to have fun, while doing it and don’t be afraid of failure. It will happen, but you have to get through it in order to succeed. And most importantly, believe in yourself and be confident that you can do anything you want.
1349 IB World School Journal 